Two faculty members in the Department of Child and Family Studies have secured more than $1.87 million in federal grants for new research and training initiatives.
Amy Vargo, PhD, assistant research professor, received a two-year, $625,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of Research Integrity to lead a project named Research Accountability and Integrity for Sustainable Ethics (RAISE) in Artificial Intelligence (AI). RAISE will examine how artificial intelligence is reshaping academic research while raising new ethical challenges.
AI tools are accelerating scholarship by helping faculty and students analyze complex data, draft and refine writing, and design innovative projects. Yet, these advances also raise concerns about fairness, authorship, and transparency, and many universities lack clear policies or training on responsible use.
Through surveys of faculty at research universities and interviews with administrators, RAISE will identify opportunities and gaps in AI use. The project will develop practical guidance, training resources and a digital toolkit to help institutions harness AI’s benefits while safeguarding the integrity and trustworthiness of research.
Catia Cividini-Motta, PhD, assistant professor and Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) program associate director, was awarded a five-year, $1.25 million grant from the U.S. Department of Education to lead the Interdisciplinary Training of Special Educators and Behavior Analysts (Project iSEBA). The project is designed to prepare 30 Board Certified Behavior Analysts and special education teachers to serve school-age children with severe emotional and behavioral disorders.
iSEBA emphasizes collaboration between behavior analysts and special educators to design and deliver evidence-based instruction and intensive, individualized positive behavioral interventions and supports (PBIS) in classrooms, schools and natural environments. Participants will also be trained to use data-driven practices, foster family engagement, connect families with mental health services, and act as liaisons between home and school.
Project iSEBA will be carried out in collaboration between USF’s ABA master's program, the Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT) program in the College of Education and partnerships with three local school districts.